Fuel-feeding- system fob automobiles



W. H. MUZZY.

FUEL FEEDING SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 10, 1920.

1,385,337.- Patented July 19, 1921.

g I I HUI Jim 62229)" e34 7 MM yaw UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I FUEL-FEEDING SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Patented July 19, 1921.

Application filed my 10, 1920. Serial No. 380,156.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lViLLrAM H. MUzzY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel-Feeding Systems for Automobiles, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in fuel feeding systems and has more particular relation to improvements in fuel feeding systems for automobiles of the so called vacuum tank type. i

T he object of the invention is to eliminate many of the operating and delicate parts at present found in vacuum tanksand which cause more or less trouble because of'wear and derangement incidental to the severe usage to which'the tanks are put in vehicles traveling at high speed over rough and poorly graded roads.

A further object of the invention is to provide devices which give a proper sequence of operation for the control valves and which hold them in their adjusted positions for the desired intervals without the employment of snapover devices or any similar spring controlled mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved devices for eliminating i large hollow metal floats and replacing them with medium size solid cork floats. v

A still further object of the invention is to provide devices which will not be deranged and cause misoperations because of road shocks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tank in which a large atmosphere valve can be employed to facilitate the rapid discharge of the fuel from the vacuum chamber of the tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tank having an increased pumping capacity foreach cycle of operation.

The invention also has other objects all of which. will be hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification:

The figure represents a central vertical section through vacuum tank embodying my invention.

In order to fullyappreciate what the ap plicant has done in the present simplified invention it is thought desirable to make a short statement of the defects that are more or less present in previous so called vacuum tanks. One of the principle causes of trouble has heretofore been with the metal floats which under the corrosive action of the gasolene soon leak and destroy the proper action of the tank. These floats in orderto secure the necessary buoyancy are hollow and are made of thin metal with the result that when they are operated in a vacuum the atmospheric pressure within them tends to force the walls outward and when they are thinned by corrosion, breaks them and causes them to leak and thetank thus to be put out of operation. Further, in order to cause a snapping action of the valves to firmly seat them and not leave them i just partly seated, snap over springs and levers have been employed which are balanced with the proper buoyancy of the large float to cause the atmosphere valve to be kicked open in addition, rather than pushed open by main force. In fact it has been found practically impossible with the floats that could be practically used in the confined area of the tanks, to provide a float that could push an atmosphere valve open by'main force upon a slowly rising level of fuel andworking with different degrees of vacuum. It is with these defects in mind that applicant'has provided an atmosphere valve of large area and connected it direct to a moderate size float of solid cork. The buoyancy of this float would not open the valve under the regular operating vacuum but applicant has provided a second moderfate sized float which is caused to rise after the first float is completely submerged and raises an elongated needle valve until it is forced on its seat'both by the buoyancy of the float and by being drawn upward by force of the suction after the float has moved it to a position in which the suction takes hold. hen this suction valve snaps closed by the suction and the movement of the float, the vacuum within the vacuum chamber is of course at once greatly reduced as the feedof thefuel into the chamber almost reduces it to atmospheric pressure. WVhat little'remaining vacuum there may be left in the chamber 2 is further reduced at once by the normal leakage of air, into the chamber,

Y merged.

between the large metal valve 6 and its metal seat. This valve 6 at this time is being held only lightly on its seat by the very low vacuum in the chamber 2, and the leakage is therefore much greater than would take place when the valve is held on its seat with full vacuum before the needle valve 4: is closed. The leakage past the valve 4 when closed is very slight because of its small size and further because it is held toits seat by full vacuum above it. \Vhen this takes place the float connected to the atmospheric valve, which float is fully submerged, snaps the atmospheric valve open at once and lifts it well off its seat out of the influence of the inwardly rushing air. The gasolene in the vacuum-chamber is thus left free to descend into the lower supply chamber.

lVhen the level of the gasolene in the vacuum chamber passes below the buoyancy point of the float to which the suction valve is attached, the weight of this float pulls the suction valve open, but the atmosphere valve still remains open as its float is still sub- As the upper end of the rod 7 has no guide,'the valve 6 when elevated by the rod falls to one side so that its lower contracted portion rests against one side of the inclined valve seat. As the float lt seeks to pass downward because of the lowering of the level of the gasolene, the valve is dragged over the valve seat and slightly resists the lowering of the cork. This resistance results in the gasolene passing slightly below the buoyancy level of the float 14: and the float thus increasing its pull finally'overcomes the resistance to the valve 6 and the float falls to its buoyancy level pulling the valve'with it and causing the valve to fall on its seat where it is held by the suction.

Described in detail the invention comprises an external tank or shell 1, aninner vacuum chamber or tank 2 and a cover 40 for the latter tank. The tank operates in conjunction with the engine and the main supply tank at the rear of the machine in substantially the same manner as all so called vacuum tanks in that the chamber 2 is connected with the manifold of the engine by an attaching nipple 15 having the usual reduced aperture 16 and screwed into a boss 17 formed on the lid or cover 40. The. lower part of the boss is formed with an elongated air passage terminating in a tapered valve seat 18. Alongtaperedneedle valve 45 mounted on a rod 5 operates through this air passage and finally seats on the valve seat 18.

The rod 5 is fast to a cork float 3 through which it passes and is guided at its lower end by a guide 11 set in the bottom of the tank 2 and provided with an adjusting screw 42 whereby the lower open position of the valve it may be determined and the valve so adjusted that it cannot at any time become held by suction.

disarranged in relation to the valve seat. It

will of course be understood that this same adjustment might also be made by screw ng the boss :17 into the lid 40 and thus raising and lowering it in relation to the valve.

The cover 40 is also formed with a boss apertured and formed into a valve seat 27 for receiving the tapered atmosphere valve 6 which is fast on a rod 7. This rod passes loosely through a tube 8 mounted in the float 3 and also passes through and is secured to a cork float 14:, the lower end of the rod being guided by a guiding boss 13 secured to the bottom of the tank 2. The float 14 is provided with a. light tube 10 through which the'rod 5 freely passes. The upper'end of the rod marked 26 is so located that when the rod 7 is elevated it will contact with the lower end of an adjusting screw 23 to limit the upward movement of the valve 6 and prevent it passing off of the valve seat more than is desired to admit air to the chamber 2. The screw 23 is mounted in a cap plate 24 soldered to the top of a cylindrical screen 25 for keeping road dust away from the valve 6 and its seat. The screen is removable for cleaning and is held in place about the boss formed on the lid 10 by a split spring clamping ring 28.

A boss 29 is also formed on the lid 40 for receiving the connections for connecting the chamber 2 with the main gasolene supply tank at the rear of the machine. A deflector plate 30 is mounted just below this boss to prevent the incoming gasolene from striking the float 3 and tending to depress it. This plate however is not essential to the operation of the devices. The lid 40 is secured in position by screws 19 which pass through a sealing cork washer 20, a flange 21 of tank 2, and screw into a ring 22 secured to the upper edge of the tank 1.

The float 3 is provided with a metal plate 9 so as to give it the necessary weight without making the float unduly large as it is the weight of this float that draws the valve 4 off of its seat 18 when the level of the gasolene passes below the buoyancy point of the float 3. It will also be observed that the float 3 is connected to the rod off center so that when the level of the gasolene passes below the buoyancy point of the float, the latter tends to swing to one side and this action facilitates the disengagement of the valve 4: from its seat to which itis being An air vent 41 is formed near the upper end of the tank 1 as is usual in such tanks to permit the tank to have atmospheric pressure at all times.

' The tank 2 discharges into the tank 1 through an apertured valve casting 33 set in the bottomof the tank 2 and provided with a flap valve 31 held loosely in position by headed screws 32. This valve opens by the pressure of the gasolene from the tank 2 and closes. when a vacuum is established in said tank in a manner well known in the art and needing no further description here.

The lower part of the tank 1 is provided with a gasolene connection 34 by means of which it is connected to the carbureter of the engine. I

The operation of the tank is as follows:

When the floats 3 and 14 are in their lower normal positions the valve 6 is closed and the valve 4 is open. A vacuum is thus estab lished in the tank 2 and the gasolene from the main tankpasses into this tank 2 through the connections at the boss 29. As the level in the tank 2 rises the float 14 is first submerged but as this float has not sufficient buoyancy to force the valve 6 open against atmospheric pressure, the level in tank 2 continues to rise until the float 3 is partly submerged. This float 3 now starts to move upward moving the valve 4 with it until this valve finally. seats on the seat 18 and thus cuts off the suction. This seating action of the valve 4.is caused by the float 3 but is assisted as the valve nears its .closed position by the suction itself. This action is because of the elongated shape of the valve which presents considerable surface for the drawing action of the air as the passage for air between the valve and its seat becomes restricted as the valve is raised by the float. hen the suction is out off by the valve 4 as above described, the vacuum in the chamher 2 is immediately reduced as the gasolene from the main tank continues to flow into the vacuum chamber. and finally is almost reduced to atmospheric pressureand, further reduced by normal leakage of air ast the lightly seated valve 6. As the valve 6 is now no longer subjected to atmospheric pressure of any consequence, its float 14 has no difliculty in forcing it open to its full extent as this float at this time is fully submergedpbecause of its position below the upper float 3 which effected the closing of the suction. Upon the opening of the valve 6 with its large area, atmospheric pressure is fully and entirely restored in the chamber 2 and the fuel discharges from this chamber into the tank 1., unless the level in the tank 1 is equal tothe level in the tank 2, in which event the level in both tanks will lower at the same time as the gasolene is used by the engine. I

As the level in the tank 2 is lowered the weighted cork 3 finally exerts suflicient pull on the rod 5 to disengage the valve 4 from its seat upon which it is being held by suction. This disengagement is further assisted by the fact that'the rod 5is mounted out of the true center of the float and the road vibrations thus tend to swing the float to one side whenit is no longer supported by the gasolenebut this action is not necessary to cause the valve 4 to disengagefrom its seat but only enables a smaller size float to be used.

As the. level in the tank 2 continues to lower the float 14 finally no longer supports the valve 6 and finally causes it to fall upon its seat in the manner before described. The operation is then repeated as before.

It will of course be understood that the floats do not have to be arranged one under the other as shown in the drawings but might equally well be arranged side by side or one within the other it only being necessary that they operate at different levels in order to secure the desired quantity of feed of the fuel at each cycle of operation. In the arrangement shown in the drawings a maximum quantity of fuel is fed at each operaation of the tank.

I further do not care to limit myself to the manner in which the floats are shown as guided in their movements as it will at once be apparent that they might equally well be hung and guided from the cover 40 alone.

It will be observed that applicant by his peculiar arrangement and combination of parts has secured by solid light floats and without the use of springs or snap overs practically the same results or improved results over those secured by the use of hollow metal floats and spring snap over devices which as before pointed out are open to more or less serious objections.

The valve 4 closes with a snap and also snaps open when the float 3 finally falls.

The valve 6 opens with a jump because of its deeply submerged float and closes with a snap because of the falling action of the float and valve before described.

Further the road vibrations do not cause any trouble in the operation of the tank as they have in devices heretofore used and which did not include snap over devices. This is because the float 14 is deeply submerged when the valve 6 is open and any slopping about of the gasolene in the chamber 2 will not cause the float to bob up and down and accidentally move the valve to its'seat where it would be caught and'held by the suction. hen the level of the gasolene in the chamber 2 has reached a point where the float 14 is only partly submerged and bobs about because of the slopping of the gasolene from road vibrations, the pumped charge has been fed from the chamber 2 to the tank 1 and if the valve 6 becomes seated it is no more than the regular operation of the tank, slightly anticipated. In effect the valve 6 is held firmly open against any road vibrations during the enthe period desired just as a spring actuated snap over might hold it.

Further the arrangement'is such that a very large valve 6 may be employed and opened surely and without trouble to such an extent that it is not necessary to keep the valve 4 shut only for the very slight period just before the valve 6 opens. After the valve 6 opens it makes no difference when the valve 4 opens as sufficient air is admitted by the opening of the valve 6 to permit a perfect feed of the gasolene from the chamber 2 to the tank 1 even when the valve 4 is open. Thus any road shocks that might open the valve 4 before its float has done so would make no difference in the operation of the tank. Any agitation of the gasolene in the chamber 2 caused by road shocks and which might surge the float 3 upward and cause the valve 4 to close would only slightly anticipate the regular closing of the valve and would simply quicken the operation of the tank and throw it a little sooner into its next cycle of operation. Nothing would be lost as the slight decrease in the quantity pumped would be compensated for by the time gained in passing quicker into the next cycle of operation.

From the above it will be seen that no road shocks can have any effect upon the perfect operation of the tank nor disturb its cycles of operation.

It will be seen that the floats may be made so small that a large portion of thevacuum chamber is left free to be filled with the incoming gasolene, and thus, in a given size tank, increases the amount of fuel fed at each operation over a tank of the same size in which the vacuum chamber is almost completely filled by the large operating float.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a fuel feeding system the combination with a tank having a vacuum chamber and a supply chamber, the former with a suction port, an atmosphere port and a fuel inlet port, of a valve for the suction port, a float for opening and closing the valve, a valve for the atmosphere port, a float for opening and closing this latter valve operating independently of the first mentioned float and so located in relation to the first float that its point of buoyancy has been passed when the first float rises, and means for discharging gasolene from the vacuum chamber to the supply chamber.

2. In a fuel feeding system the combination with a tank having a vacuum chamber and a supply chamber, the former with a suction port, an atmosphere port and a fuel inlet port, of a valve for the suction port, a float in the vacuum chamber for opening and closing the valve, a valve for the atmosphere port, a float for opening and closing this atmosphere valve located in the vacuum chamber at a lower level than the first mentioned float, and means for discharging gasolene from the vacuum chamber to the supply chamber. 1

3. In fuel feeding system the combination with a tank having a vacuum chamber and a supply chamber, the former with a suction port, an atmosphere port and a fuel inlet port, of independently operating valves for the suction port and the atmosphere port, independent floats for operating said valves, and means for discharging fuel from the vacuum chamber to the supply chamber.

4. In a fuel feeding system the combination with a tank having a vacuum chamber with a suction port, an atmosphere port and a fuel inlet port, of independently operating valves for the suction port and the atmosphere port, independent floats for operating said valves, and means for feeding fuel from the vacuum chamber to the engme.

5. In a fuel feeding system the combination with a tank having a vacuum chamber with a suction port, an atmosphere port and a fuel inlet port, of independently operating valves for the suction port and the atmosphere port, a float in the vacuum chamber for operating the suction valve, a second independent float in the vacuum chamber for operating the atmosphere valve located at a lower level than the first float, and means for feeding fuel from the vacuum chamber to the engine.

6. In a fuel feedingsystem the combination with a tank having a vacuum chamber with a suction port, an atmosphere port and a fuel inlet port, of independently operating valves for the suction port and the atmosphere port, independent floats for operat ing said valves so located in the vacuum chamber as to give the valves consecutive action, and means for feeding fuel from the vacuum chamber to the engine;

7. In a fuel feeding system the combina tion with a tank having a vacuum chamber with a suction port, an atmosphere port and a fuel inlet port, of independently operating valves for the suction port and the atmosphere port both held seated by suction, independent floats for operating the valves, and means for feeding fuel from the vacuum chamber to the engine.

8. In a fuel feeding system the combination with a tank having a vacuum chamber with a suction port, an atmosphere port and a fuel inlet port, of independently operating valves for the suction port and the atmosphere port, independent superposed floats for operating said valves by difler'ent levels of fuel in the chamber, and means for feed ing fuel from the chamber to the engine.

9. In a fuel feeding system the combination with a tank having a supply chamber and a vacuum chamber the latter with a suction port, an atmosphere .port and a fuel inlet port, valves for the suction port and the atmosphere port independently operating, a low level float carrying a rod for operating the atmosphere valve, a high level independent float carrying a rod for operating the suction valve independently, and communicating means between the vacuum and supply chambers.

10. In a fuel feeding system the combination with a tank having a supply chamber and a vacuum chamber, the latter with a suction port, an atmosphere port and a fuel inlet port, independently operating valves for the suction port and the atmosphere port held seated by suction, independent floats located one above the other in the vacuum chamber and connected to the valves for giving them consecutive action, and communicating means between the vacuum and supply chambers.

11. In a fuel feeding system the combina tion with a tank having a supply chamber and a vacuum chamber, the latter with a suction port, an atmosphere port and a fuel inlet port, independent valves for the suction port and the atmosphere port, independent superposed floats for giving the valves independent consecutive action, adjustable means for limiting the movements of the valves and communicating means between the vacuum and the supply chambers.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. MUZZY. lVitnesses:

M. I. MUzzY, M. G. Hoovnn. 

